Brand Communications Announces New Supply Agreement with BT and Cellnet

BT now supplies the Brand Apollo solution to its customers, under the brand name MobileAccess

April 20, 1999

This means that as well as Brand’s direct sales to corporates, Apollo is now also sold to BT’s corporate customers who have a requirement for LAN access via GSM.

Most UK corporates have remote and mobile workers, including salespeople, engineers and managers. And most have historically not found it easy to extend the office LAN environment to those mobile people in a secure, robust and cost-effective manner. So that is where Apollo and MobileAccess helps. It seamlessly extends the LAN environment out to the remote user’s portable PC via GSM (or whichever communications medium is at hand). It does so by utilising Brand’s proven expertise in making remote access really work, and by harnessing the power of Brand’s Apollo solution. Apollo gives the user a virtual LAN connection at all times, yet only making a GSM Data call across the GSM network when there is real data to be sent. At all other times Apollo "spoofs" the LAN session by keeping it alive whilst dropping the GSM call to save money and network resource. Apollo uses Cellnet’s QuickConnect GSM to ISDN service to "instantly" reconnect the mobile user to the LAN whenever it is required. As far as the remote worker is concerned, he/she logs on as normal, uses standard LAN applications, has no need to manually connect and disconnect, and can rely totally on the GSM link back to the office. It all adds up to true LAN access for those people who need it most, those vital field workers in any organisation.

This resale arrangement with BT is further testimony to the fact that GSM remote access is most definitely a reality. Brand’s existing success will now be built upon by adding the resource, reach and skills that BT and Cellnet will bring to the partnership. BT’s focus on the market, coupled with Brand’s strong product set can only be good news for customers with in-field workers.

David Chidwick, MobileAccess Product Manager of Cellnet Corporate Solutions, added: "This is now a major strategic tool for BT and Cellnet to address the needs of corporates. Data services are high on their agenda, and we have responded by offering such a simple yet feature-rich product set that they can benefit from quickly. MobileAccess will grow into a complete portfolio of remote access services, and it can only help us to win more corporate business. We are delighted to be working so closely with Brand to jointly deliver a world-beating product."

About Brand Communications

Brand Communications is a global leader in mobile data and remote access solutions. We develop, manufacture and market a range of leading mobile, remote office and site-to-site access solutions for all environments including ISDN, PSTN, Fixed Lines, Satellite, GSM and GPRS.

Apollo has helped to significantly grow the number of active GSM data users worldwide and has delivered tangible paybacks to many networks and their users. Apollo continues to deliver such rich benefits to HSCSD, GPRS and 3G networks. More information can be found at http://www.brandcomms.com

For further information on Brand Communications Ltd, contact:

Miss Katie Sarah Ruff
Brand Communications Limited
Trinity House
Ermine Business Park
Huntingdon
Cambs, PE29 6XY

Tel: +44 (0)1480 442100   Email: katier@brandcomms.com
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